This is when you begin to cross your fingers for Zack Wheeler. This is when you really begin to hope and pray the dark clouds that always seem to find their way to Flushing don’t rain on Wheeler the way they did on Matt Harvey.

Sure, you don’t want to think about such things or feel a jinx is at hand. But the calendar is slowly approaching the time last season when Harvey felt discomfort in his forearm and wound up having Tommy John surgery.

It shocked the fun out of everything surrounding the Mets. Harvey, who had started the All-Star Game for the National League and exemplified a promising a future, was lost for the entire 2014 season. The brightness turned to darkness. Cross your fingers nothing remotely close to that happens to Wheeler.

You hope over the next month and half there are no serious strains, pains or other signs of discomfort that might impact what has been the most promising aspect of this season for the Mets: Wheeler’s maturation as a starting pitcher.

After losing seven of his first nine decisions, the young right-hander entered Friday night’s start against the Cubs having compiled a 4-0 record with a 1.93 ERA over his previous eight starts. He had thrown eight consecutive quality starts and raised his average to 8.65 strikeouts per nine innings, the ninth-highest among qualified NL pitchers.

He continued his stretch of excellence by going 6 ²/₃ innings against the Cubs, allowing four hits and two earned runs while striking out 10 in a 3-2 victory at Citi Field to improve his record to 8-8 with a 3.49 ERA.

Since June 30, Wheeler has become as good as advertised when the Mets talked of pairing him with Harvey for a one-two punch that could serve as the cornerstone of not just the rotation, but the franchise.

With the way pitchers go down these days, nothing can be taken for granted. That’s why you cross your fingers. If Wheeler finishes the season the way he’s been pitching lately, the Mets can have some real optimism for next season, when Harvey should be healthy and the rotation could be as formidable as any in baseball.

This doesn’t mean Wheeler should be prematurely shut down or put it on cruise control. There are still lessons to be learned. Getting swept in three games by the Nationals was a demoralizing way for the Mets to start a homestand. Friday offered Wheeler a chance to do what he will be called upon to do throughout his career: stop a losing streak.

He responded by posting the third double-digit strikeout performance of his young career.

“My command has been better and I’m starting to feel better with my mechanics,” Wheeler said. “I’m just working on being consistent.”

Some will nitpick Wheeler needs to keep from letting his pitch count get too high too soon. He came into Friday averaging 17.4 pitches per inning, the fourth-highest among major league pitchers. He reached 100 pitches early in the sixth inning and left after throwing 120 pitches, 70 for strikes.

“I know pitch counts are a big deal these days,” he said. “It’s something I’ll have to work on.”

Eliminating some of those pitches will come with experience, but isn’t something that overly concerns the Mets.

“When you’re striking guys out, your pitch count is going to be up there,” Collins said, “because he’s a guy they really don’t put the ball in play against a lot.”

Let’s hope Wheeler’s pitch count is the only thing that needs be worked on during the offseason. The Mets thought this would be the year when Harvey and Wheeler anchored the rotation. But all that fizzled after Harvey complained of discomfort following a 102-pitch start against the Tigers on Aug. 24, 2013.

Now the vision is for the dynamic duo to be a force next year. That’s why it’s time to cross your fingers and hope Wheeler stays healthy until the finish line.